


Slenderman Is Coming For You

by Lilyeclipse93



Category: Slender: The Arrival, ベイブレードバースト | Beyblade Burst (Anime)
Genre: Halloween, Horror, M/M, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-05 20:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16374608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilyeclipse93/pseuds/Lilyeclipse93
Summary: One, two, Slendy's coming for you.Three, four, Better lock your doorFive, six, grab a crucifix.Seven, eight, Gonna stay up late.Nine, ten, Never sleep again....





	1. Can You See Him?

**Author's Note:**

> Now there's one week until Halloween, I wrote a chilling BeyBurst Fanfic. Enjoy!

Shu peered out the window as the heavy fog hung over the forest outside. He watched as the wind blew the silhouette of trees that made them dance around. The wind howled and moaned against the various buildings that made up the backyard as a whole. It sounded to him like the melancholy singing of some long forgotten ghost, lost and alone on a dark night. The old scarecrow that made of woods groaned against the dual assaults of the cold and the wind. The creaking and the moaning would have put another guy on edge, but Shu knew better. These timbers had held for long after the day of his birth and somehow he knew they had no intention of giving up the ghost anytime soon.

Others might not have had the same faith that he had.

"Hey. Shu? Are you sure that Wakiya's huge mansion isn't going to come crashing down on us in the middle of the night?"

Shu sighed, shaking his head. "Just like I told you the last seven times, Valt; it'll be fine."

Behind him, Valt hugged the cushion nervously. "...you promise?"

"You are  _really_  making me regret accepting an invitation to come over tonight." Silas rolled his eyes as he sipped from his glass of punch.

"Silas!" Shasa's voice cracked slightly as she admonished her teammate from across the couch. "What a thing to say!"

Wakiya sipped his own drink as he looked up from the magazine he'd been reading. "That does beg the question; why _are_  the BC Sol here? I thought this was the BeyClub sleepover."

Shu finally pulled himself away from the window and walked to his nearby chair. "I never specified one way or the other. How was I supposed to know that only Kris would give them permission to come over?" Shu spared Cuza a pitying look. "I'm sorry none of the others could come. You must be bored to tears."

Cuza chuckled as he scratched his head. "It's fine. To tell you the truth, Kris only let me come because she says I need to socialize more."

"Well, you do spend all your free time at the arcade." Lui was laying on the couch with his hands behind his head and his leg crossed. "But let's be honest with ourselves here; we're not just here because Shu asked us over. We're here so our parents could get rid of us for the night."

"Discarded on Halloween." Shasa muttered.

"So adults can do usual stuff and drink enough beers or wines to forget they even have kids." Silas pouted.

"Man, grown-up people  _suck_." Rantaro grumbled.

"I'll thank you to respect your elders when you're in this mansion, Kiyama."

Their heads turned and watched as Rickson entered the room. He quickly unpacking the pumpkins from the cardboard boxes. He brushed the dust off his pants. Her eyes remained focused on Rantaro. "Now... you were saying about grown-up people?"

Rantaro offered an embarrassed grin. "I didn't mean they all did."

"Rickson? That you?" Daigo walked out of the kitchen. "You make picking up those pumpkins alright?"

"Yes." Rickson flipped her hat over and picked up out a boxes of mini pumpkin pies. "Xander told me about last Hallow's Eve, the one Valt did the apple challenge and he actually laughed when he found it hilarious. So he asked to hand out some treats he made from Brazil." He looked back over at Everyone. "And Xander saids 'Hey.'"

"No he didn't." Lui muttered under his breath.

Valt threw one ball of Malteasers at him in the ribs and looked past Rickson. "Where's Toko and Nika? Are they lost in the woods again?!"

"Nope." Came the reply as Toko, Nika and Honey walked into the room. He put the trick or treating bag on the floor. "But we did find someone else out there."

Keru and Besu poked their heads into the room. "Hiya you guys!"

"What's it hangin'"

Ken finally walked into the room to reveal himself. "Hi Valt."

"Ken!" Valt ran across the room and hugged Ken tightly, much to his discomfort and joy. "What are you doing here?"

"We didn’t want to be alone on the spookiest night of the whole year.” Ken said through Keru.

"So we just came her to celebrate with you guys." Ken said through Besu. "But we need a place to stay."

“And Ben?”

Keru scoffed. “Ben is Ben.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Daigo muttered before turning a kindly smile to his old teammate. “Well, there’s always room for you in this house. Make yourself comfortable. Cookies are nearly done.”

Shu made sure Daigo was safely in the kitchen before he turned to Valt laid on the mat and Cuza was between him and Kitt. “Why don’t you give Ken a quick tour of the house, Wakiya?” He made a point of adjusting an ornament on the Halloween decorations. “Before Daigo comes back, I mean.”

Ken blushed and gave Wakiya small, shy, secret smile. “Can you… like to see the house?” Ken asked.

Wakiya looked at Valt with a cheerfully grin, then turned back to him. “Of course.”

Once the pair were gone and Shu had joined Daigo in the kitchen, BeyClub and BC Sol their pre-cookie activities.

“So… is this a Halloween tradition?” Lui asked with an exaggerated yawn.

Valt raised an eyebrow once he’d reclaimed his mat. “Is what a tradition, exactly?”

“Sitting around until we die of boredom.”

Despite his recently reformed status, Silas could not resist giving a mean-spirited snort of laughter. Upon seeing the Valt and Cuza withering looks, he looked away in embarrassment. “Sorry.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, Lui has a point. Are we actually going to do anything tonight?” Shasa jumped onto the couch next to Honey and paid no mind to her barely suppressed squeak of surprise. “In my house, we play games on Halloween.”

“There’s a shocker.” Rantaro muttered and put his lollipop in his mouth.

Shasa cut his eyes at him. “And what do you do in your house, if I may ask?”

Rantaro grinned. “Halloween in my house is the best. We do this creepy ouija board. Everybody puts their fingers on this planchette, and when they talks to the spirits, it moves to use those letters to speak. The others have to guess what it is.”

Valt smiled. “That’s totally cool, Honcho.”

“But what did it say to you?” Kitt shoved a mini pumpkin pie over to Cuza and propped himself up on the pillow he was stretched out on. “The spirit who guesses the most times, I mean. What did they say?”

Rantaro laid on the floor and gave a cocky smirk. “They said they lived in the old village where all of the witches burned into ashes.”

Shu rolled her eyes at Rantaro bravado and looked to Valt. “What about you, Valt? Do you have some old traditions?”

Valt thought about it as he levitated his drink away from him and onto a nearby coffee table. “Not sure about ancient traditions. Me and my dad did a little candy eating contest, if that counts.”

“That’s not a tradition.” Lui whispered as he leaned forward. “That’s therapy fodder.”

Shu glared at his arch nemesis. “Can you please stop being such a smart-ass?”

“Well excuse me for actually wanting to have fun on Halloween night.”

Silas looked sharply at Lui. “Is there a problem?”

Lui rolled her eyes and smirked. “It's not a problem. If we were at my house right now, we’d be doing tricks of Halloween.” He looked around the room smugly. “I get so many sugar and spice each year that we have to start the night before.”

“Wow! You’re such a lucky guy!” Silas sarcastically clapped his hands. “I sure do wish that my baby girl had to buy my love every season!”

“Please.” Lui narrowed her eyes at the Silas’ sarcastic tone of voice. “Don’t get all mean just because your girlfriend is so poor that they had to come up with a tradition where you pretend that you’re excited to get literally nothing.”

She stood up and clenched his hands. “She isn’t poor. And at least we know the real reason for the season.”

Lui got out of the couch. “Just what I’d expect to hear from the boy who’s shown up these past few winters in the same ragged coat.”

“I like that coat.” He took another step forward.

“You don’t know any better.” Lui mirrored her.

“Enough.” Shu ordered. He just stood up from his chair.

“Honestly, if we weren’t in this building right now I’d kick your ass from here to where you belong.”

Honey started to climb off the couch. “Silas, maybe we should all calm down…”

“You wanna fight? Let’s fight.” Lui put his fist on his hand, “It’ll probably make Honey feel right at home if Shasa start acting like you being pathetic loser.”

Honey froze, and then pulled herself back onto the couch.

Shasa gritted her teeth with rage. "If I were you, I punch him in the face!"

Cuza looked around in confusion. “Is this what normally happens at sleepovers?”

Silas tensed to spring. “Last chance. Take back what you said about my future wife.”

“Hey!”

Lui crossed his arms and walked closer to Silas. “The only thing that should be taken back around here is that old, smelly, patched, stained,  _manure encrusted_  coat of yours!”

“THAT’S IT!”

The two rushed at each other.

“STOP!” Rantaro leaped between them and held out his arms to stop them. “Just stop all this right now!”

“Now what's going on in here?”

Everyone looked up to find Rickson staring at them, holding a tray of cookies and milk.

“Well?”

Daigo was standing behind Rickson, with a creepy facial expression. “Don’t you worry about them, Rick. They just want to meet Slenderman is all.”

Valt tilted his head. “Slenderman? What’s that?”

Daigo stayed silent as he made his way to the black cushion by the fire. “Now don’t tell me nopony’s ever told you lot about Slenderman? It’s as important a part of urban legend.”

BeyClub and BC Sol stared at him with uncomprehending eyes.

Daigo sat on the cushion. “I guess it’s up to me to spin the tale, then. Rick will pass out them cookies and milk. The rest of you get comfy.”

They all returned to their original seats, Silas and Lui shooting looks at each other to make it clear that they were nowhere near done.

"A lot of kids were missing for many years and no one had seen them.” Shu observed as she bit into a cookie.

“And if it happens to you?”

“You get touched.” Rantaro muttered.

“Is Slendy bite?” Keru asked as Ken and Wakiya re-entered the room and sat on the floor behind the couch.

“I like getting coal for Hearth’s Warming.” Besu said.

Daigo shrugged and continued. “Sometimes, if he touches you, you're lucky to believe it's a bad dream. You might just attract the attention of Slenderman.”

“Who is Slenderman?” Nika asked.

“He's tall and skinny, with no face. Even his arms and legs are long. He's wearing a black suit and tie and didn't change his clothes for long time. He got a shadowy figure right behind him."

Honey gulped and unconsciously pulled closer to Shasa.

“It’s said that he lives all year round in the darkest forest, far beyond the distance, and he only comes out at night. He walked around field looking for kids, who got lost in the middle of nowhere. And when he finds them, then he approached and snatches them that he always makes them want to play with him. I heard tell that if you look at the static, it’s already too late.”

Everyone flinched.

“Wh-what happens to little kids that get snatched?” Valt stammered.

“Nopony knows.” Daigo looked at the flickering flames in the hearth, his mouth set in a creepy grin. “I’ve heard it told that he drives them insane, which they can't get him out of their heads. I’ve also heard it once or twice that when they grow up, they'll be hanging up on the trees.”

Shu’s eyes widened in horror.

“The way Jin told it though was the worst of all. He told me that that the taken were spirited away to Slenderman himself. They’re stripped of everything that made them who they were until they're nothing but husks, neither living nor dead. There they serve Slenderman until the end of time, deprived forever of the thing they treated so lightly; pledging their leader.” Daigo looked back at everyone with a wide chilling grin on his face. “Oh, and one more thing you’ll need to know.”

BeyClub and BC Sol leaned forward in expectation.

“I’d wager that he heard that little spat you’ll were having earlier and came a little early.”

A pair of long arms began to rise from behind the sofa

Valt saw them first from his mat. He pointed at it and screamed. “HE’S HERE!”

Everyone screamed and panicked, scrabbling madly away from the couch. As if in response to their screams, a noise of the TV static came from behind the cushions.

Familiar booming laughter.

Beneath arms that were now shaking loosely.

Shu, however, was now the first to figure it out. His eyes narrowed with as he moved to take a closer look. “It looks like we have a prankster among us."

Cuza jumped up fully, almost doubled over with laughter. Held up those fake monster arms, soft spider toy on his back and stood on the stool. "Gotcha!"

Everyone soon joined him as Valt crossed the room and gave him a high five. “Nice one, Cuza!”

Shasa stared at the two, visibly unamused. “I hope you two are proud of yourselves. Now we got a bunch of little kids that they're not gonna be sleeping at all tonight.”

“Wh-Whatever.” Wakiya sat on the chair and did her best to stop himself from trembling. “It wasn’t that scary.”

Lui also scoffed as he settled back on the couch, making a point to be as far away from Silas as possible. “Yeah, like there’d ever be something as silly as a ram that snatches these brats away.”

Wakiya found himself held hostage in the iron grip of Rantaro. “Uh? You can get off me now.”

“Huh?” Rantaro noticed what he was holding onto and released it as quickly as he could manage. “Sorry.” He muttered with a forced chuckle. “No idea why that happened.”

Rickson sighed from laughing and she fixed his eyes on Lui. “This with Cuza was all a joke, you can bet on that. But you’d better believe Slenderman's real."

Lui did not flinch from Daigo’s gaze. “I know that. Because Spryzen isn’t real either.”

The silence that followed was broken only by the crackling of the fire.

“What did you just say?” Valt gave him a angry look.

Lui rolled his eyes. “I should’ve figured that you of all people wouldn’t have it figured out by now.”

“Figured what out?”

Rantaro looked between the two in mounting horror. This was not how she had wanted this information to come out. “Okay, we all better tuck in…”

“Figured  _what_  out?” Valt repeated, ignoring Rantaro.

“Yeah. I guess I haven’t figured it out either.” Nika’s face shared the same look as her big brother, curiosity and confusion.

Lui looked at his peers. “Really? Okay, raise your hand if you think Spryzen is real.”

“Lui…” Shu whispered dangerously.

But the hands of BeyClub and BC Sol were already in the air.

Valt gaped at Shu, his arms were staying still. “You don’t believe in Spryzen?”

Cuza’s attention was pulled from the escalating tension by the realization that someone was missing. “Hey. Where’d Ken go?”

Daigo looked around the room where the ventriloquist had been sitting and snorted in irritation. “You must’ve scared him off with that trick. He could be anywhere in the villa.”

“You guys go find that scaredy-cat.” Rickson said, his eyes still burning a hole through Lui. “I’ll make sure these six don’t start rumbling again.”

Daigo opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. Instead he looked to Cuza. “You take the upstairs, I’ll take down here. And get rid of those fake monster arms before you give that guy a heart attack.”

“Fine.” Cuza muttered sheepishly as he left the fake monster arms by the fireplace.

Lui was smirking at Shu. “Of course he doesn’t believe.” He ripped off his white scarf. “Did you figure it out yourself, or did you abandon your precious bey?”

Shu sighed heavily. "Ever since I lost to Free, Theodore told me to throw away my weakness and be ready become more powerful. I showed him that I was ready to throw friendship and all of my emotions.”

“Shu isn't weak! And he never will be!” Valt shouted. “He’s the best blader in this whole world and one of the Supreme Four!”

“Then why does he always give you respect that aren’t as nice as everyone else?”

Her words began to fan the flames of anger in Valt’s heart. “Shu does what he can…”

“I bet your bestie told you that, didn’t he?”

“That’s enough, man.” Rickson’s voice was suddenly razor sharp in its tone. “It's not your place to be saying these things. I may be up in my years, but I can still tan your hide…”

A ding came from the kitchen.

“Dammit…” Rickson muttered as he made his way to the kitchen, casting one last wilting look at Lui.

Wakiya’s eyes were now on Shu. “What did Glass tell you?”

Shu’s eyes were on the floor. “He hadn't called me on the phone for months, so Spryzen's voice in my head told me to hide the secrets so no one could hear and put them out before I went to sleep.”

Shasa laughed uneasily. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Why would they go out of their way to lie about something like that?”

“Because Kurenai lied to us about it. And he did the same thing. It’s a tradition to lie to your friends or family.” Lui smirked humorlessly as he relaxed on the couch. “How messed up is that?”

“What is wrong with you tonight, Lui?” Shasa looked up with worry at him.

“Wrong with  _me_? WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!” Lui jumped off her couch and started pacing in front of the fireplace. “What the FUCK wrong with all of  _you_?! Newsflash, hot off the presses; all the people do nothing but lie to each other and keep secrets! Secrets and lies! Well, you know what? I’VE HAD IT WITH SECRETS AND LIES!”

The wind blew against the house again, creating a low creaking moan as though the house were warning Lui to stop.

“It is time to grow up, and growing up means facing the truth.”

“I bet Luinor told you that, didn’t it?”

Lui’s jaw snapped shut and he gazed at Silas with unbridled fury. “What did you just say to me?”

“Is that what he told you after he told you Spryzen wasn’t real?” Valt met Lui’s eyes without fear. “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? Luinor ruined it for you so you have to ruin it for everyone else?” Valt nodded towards Shu. “At least he had the decency to keep that information to himself.”

“Decency?!”

Honey raised her hand. “I wasn’t aware we had decided Spryzen wasn’t real.” He looked around in confusion. “Is that still not up for debate?”

“Decency is doing the adult thing and accepting the truth, not hiding behind foolish innocence.” Lui turned his glare to Wakiya, sitting once again near Rantaro. “Here, I’ll show you; hey Kiyama.”

Rantaro looked up expectantly.

“Wakiya Murasaki has a crush on you.”

Wakiya’s mouth dropped open and her blush could be seen clear through his cushion. “You weren’t supposed to tell anyone!” He cried, his voice cracking loudly.

“Oh please. It’s not like no one noticed.  _He_  just didn’t because he has the social skills of a little doll.”

“That’s enough, Lui!” Shu shouted.

“You’re years away from your first heat and you’re already practically raising your tail for him.”

Silas shot across the room like a bullet and tackled Lui to the floor. He stood over him and raised his fist to strike. “Nobody talks to him like that!”

Lui's eyes rolled with madness. “Like you’re any better! Go ahead and beat me up! Maybe that will impress him so much he’ll stop focusing on the King of the Dorks over there and look at you for once like you’ve always wanted him to look at you.”

Silas faltered, his eyes wide. “W-what…?”

Lui took the opportunity and kicked straight upward. Silas went soaring and landed over the coffee table with a crash.

“SILAS!” Kitt and Rantaro ran over to check on their fallen friend, Valt deliberately keeping away from Silas' arm and trying to process what Lui had just revealed.

Wakiya jumped from her chair and squared himself. “I don’t care what you’re going through right now. No one treats someone like that in my villa.”

Lui got back on his feet and laughed madly. “Like we wanted to be in the rich-ass villa in the first place!”

Shu saw where his arch nemesis was going but it was already too late. “Don’t…”

“Why don’t you tell Aoi over here what you told me when you found out we’d be coming here for Halloween?”

Valt froze and looked over at his best friend. “What’s he talkin’ about, Shu?”

Shu opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, unsure of what he wanted to say.

“I’ll tell you. And I’ll use small words so your bumpkin brain can process it.” Lui paced around Shu, now ignoring how off kilter they were. “He told me how upset he was that we had to spend the most magical night of the year crammed into this dusty, dirty old shack with pricks we get more than enough of at the tournament.”

Each word pierced Valt deeper. “Did… did you really say that?”

Shu looked away, and it was all the answer Valt needed.

“Don’t act so surprised, Aoi.” Lui was beyond reason now, his body visibly vibrating with adrenaline and insanity. “Did you really think that whole incident meant that we were magically best friends forever now? Because that’s not how real life works. Sure, I might pal around now and I won’t mock you for being biggest losers. But in a few years, I’ll start mocking how pathetic your beys are.”

Rantaro looked up from between his doting friends to say something about the insult but found his gaze drawn to the big screen TV hanging on the wall, already turned on by itself.

The static seemed to be growing… louder.

“Beyblade, childhood, friendships… they all go away. After the tournament's over, we’re all going to settle into the roles we were always meant to be in. Silas will always be poor, Rantaro will probably give Wakiya a boatload of babies, you and Shu will together until the day you die, and I will rise above you all to be the absolute upper crust of pony society. I'm the only strongest blader alive.”

A punch rang out through the room.

All eyes found Lui holding his nose in shock.

Lui stared at Shu, his hand still raised.

Shu glared in hatred. “You’re not acting strong. That makes you weak.”

Lui’s shock shattered as the rage returned. He squared himself in front of the roaring fire and stared at his arch nemesis. “Fine! I don’t need you. I don’t need any of you! I don’t need my parents, or their lies, or their stories about mythical gift givers…”

A peculiar sound drew Rantaro, Silas, and Shasa’s eyes back to the window.

The static was obscured completely by white. The panes of glass were starting to break.

“I don’t need any of this! And when I have a kid, I won’t waste her time with silly stories like Spryzen and Slenderman. I won’t waste her time with nonsense like friendship! And come to think of it, I won’t waste his time at all!”

Shasa whispered. “Does anyone else hear that?”

“You mean the static?”

“No, I hear it too.” Silas put his ear to TV and tried to ignore the almost X symbol. “It almost sounds like they're…”

“Chanting for Slendy.” Honey whispered in confusion.

“That’s enough for this, Lui! Can’t you just stop?!” Valt cried.

“NO! FUCK ALL OF YOU! FUCK MY PARENTS! FUCK SPRYZEN! AND FUCKING SLENDERMAN!”

The entire villa shook as an enormous  **THUD**  came from the roof.

A freezing wind blew down the chimney and blew the fire out completely.

Silence descended upon the room.

“…did the roof cave in?” Rantaro asked.

A sudden shriek of metal on stone came from the chimney. Everyone watched as a long length of arms shot out of the hearth and wrapped itself around a frozen in surprise Lui. It looped around her several times before the hook on the tip locked into one of the links, securely tying Lui.

Dangling from the black stems was a multitude of loud static.

Lui stared at the others, his mind unable to process what was happening. “What…?”

The stem was yanked back suddenly, violently, and Lui vanished up the chimney without another sound save for the cruel laughter of the bells hanging from the chain.

Nightmare Luinor hit the floor. The left lens cracked.

The screaming began.


	2. Come Little Children

Daigo and Rickson arrived in the living room at roughly the same time to find the assembled ponies in quite a state. Shu was trying to console Valt's unyielding screams even as his own eyes ran with tears. Silas was holding a shrieking Rantaro by his hand and using all the strength in his body to keep him from running towards the now dry and cold fireplace. Shasa was holding Honey tightly to keep her safe. Wakiya panted heavily and soaked in cold sweat. Kitt simply sat on the couch, unmoving, small streams of tears running from his wide eyes. Toko and Nika were still screaming and crying in horror.

All attention was on the fireplace.

"Now what's going on in here?" Rickson demanded.

Their heads snapped to him as one and Rickson found himself suddenly besieged by Toko, Nika, Kitt and Honey. They all talked at once, their words muffled by each other's voices and their own sniffles.

"One at a time!" Rickson shushed the lot as best he could, his eyes locking with those of Shasa. "Shasa; what happened? Why's everyone screaming?"

Before Shasa could say a word, Daigo finished his headcount. "And where did that Lui get to?"

Honey's resolve broke at the sound of Lui's name and he plunged her face into her big sister's chest to muffle her cries of horror. "Something took him!"

Rickson trailed off and muttered to himself in frustration, then looked back at her. "Who took him?!"

"We don't know!" Shasa had taken Honey's place in comforting her little sister, whose screams had now petered off into rapid, panting sobs. "This freakish thing came out of the chimney and just pulled him away!"

Daigo stopped in his comforting of Valt and Shu and froze. "You say a black tendrils took him?"

Shasa nodded slowly and wiped away the tears of Honey's eyes. "Something blew the fire out and then this tendrils just shot out and grabbed her."

Valt's eyes fell upon the fireplace and he made to run to it. "We have to save him! We have to..."

Shu pulled Valt against him and leaned to whisper to his ear. "He's gone, Valt. I'm sorry, but he's already gone."

Valt looked up at Shu in confusion. "Shu... How do you...?"

From upstairs came the sound of shattering glass and the rush of wind.

Daigo's eyes widened in fear. "The doggone wind blew in a window! I better go see if Cuza needs help."

Wakiya looked apprehensive but ultimately gave a nod. "Go check it out. But be quick. And keep away from the windows."

Daigo looked at Wakiya. "Why...?"

"Oh come on! My villa is not that scary you know!" Wakiya's voice was as harsh and severe as the crack of whip. Everyone jumped at his tone, even Shu. "Nevermind fixin' any broken windows you find. I take it you didn't find Ken?

Stunned at Wakiya's taking charge, Daigo just nodded.

"Then he's upstairs. Fetch him and Cuza and get back down here, got it?"

Again, Daigo nodded.

Shu watched as Daigo walked up the stairs. He turned attention back to his friends around him. He focused on Valt and Rantaro as the two who seemed to be most in control of themselves. "Now it's startin' to get mighty chilly in here already. You two take the others into the kitchen to get warm by the oven. I'll see to this fire."

Silas opened his mouth to protest Shu's going near the fireplace but found a crimson eyes blocking his words. "I'll be fine, I promise. I know how to keep safe." Without explaining any further, he patted on Valt's shoulder and smiled as Valt and Rantaro headed the kitchen door and made for the fireplace.

Silas was the last in line. He cast a paranoid eye at Shu as he set to work rebuilding the fire.

And he seemed to be... singing?

Silas shook his head and turned again towards the kitchen...

...but found himself gazing at the stairs instead.

* * *

Daigo shivered as he walked the landing of the second floor. The freezing wind gusted and blew down the hallway, pieces of paper on the floor every now and then. His teeth chattering, Daigo zipped his jacket and dig down his hands into his pocket, and looked around for a source of light. The wind had blown the hall's lanterns out. Gritting his teeth to stop their irritating dancing, he opened the door to Wakiya's bedroom and sighed in relief; a torch was still on the table. He carefully took the torch and pulled it into the hallway.

He very nearly dropped the candle in shock as the torch illuminated the hallway.

The hallway was completely freezing. The walls and the ceiling were cracked drawn in scribbles all over the place. All of the papers were writing on the hardwood floors, someone wrote 'CAN YOU SEE HIM?'. Most shocking of all were the tree stems that now stretched from the ceiling, reaching down like teeth that beckoned down the throat of a hallway.

Swallowing uneasily, Daigo began trudging his way down the hall.

As the floor crunched beneath his feet, Daigo did his hardest to figure out what was going on. The fog had been bad before, but now it was something unreal. Unnatural almost. Curious, he paused a moment to push against an tree log. It gave easily and broke away, burying itself in the pile of leaves.

As Daigo watched, the stems immediately moved apart into existence.

Even without the eerie fog, Daigo suddenly felt very cold.

He continued along towards the two rooms at the end of the hall; the guestrooms. All their doors were standing open. The broken window could be in either one.

Daigo's doorframe was curiously free of black rose petals.

The wind began to blow in earnest the closer he got to his destination. He felt his hair blow back down the hallway and closed his eyes against the onslaught. Each step took a huge effort, and he swore he could feel the fog forming on his body. Still he pushed on, as the feeling in his nose wasted to nothing. Deep down, he began to wonder if he would freeze to death right here, right at the threshold of his's bedroom. He took what she imagined must be the final step...

... And stumbled in his room as the wind suddenly stopped.

Daigo's eyes shot open and he looked around in the room, ready for anything.

Almost anything.

This time his jaw did drop, and this time the torch did fall to the ground and cracked against the hardwood floor.

The hardwood floor that was completely free of papers.

The room was untouched by the elements save for the obviously still freezing temperature. There were no icicles, no snow, and no glassy surfaces of frozen water. The room's main window had been thrown open with such a force that all the panes of glass had shattered. The tempest loomed outside, all howling wind and whirling fog.

But not a gust of wind blew in the bedroom itself.

A whimper came from his left.

Daigo spun to find a shivering lump in the blankets on Cuza's bed. He inched towards it and reached out with one unsteady hand. "Cuza?" He asked, unsure if it was lurking fear or cold that added the quake to his voice.

The trembling lump froze... and then lunged at him.

Daigo stifled a scream as Ken tackled him to the floor, his eyes wide and rimmed in red. He was beyond crying, beyond fear and screaming. He gaped at Daigo like a fish out of water, pounding at his chest with almost no real strength.

Daigo forced Ken off of him and forced him to focus on her. "Ken! What happened?"

Ken gulped and gestured at the window, his unblinking eyes not leaving Daigo's.

"Did Cuza go outside?"

Ken nodded.

"Did he fall?"

He shook his head.

Daigo grew irritated. "Come on! If he didn't fall then how did he go outside?"

"P-p-p-pulled."

The chill returned to Daigo's heart as he remembered what Shasa had said. "Pulled by what, Ken?"

Ken's reply was the tiniest of whimpered screams.

Daigo shook Ken slightly. "Ken, focus man; what pulled him out the window?"

Ken's eyes finally closed. One last tear ran down his face. "He did." He slumped to the floor in a dead faint.

Daigo was getting ready to shake Ken awake when she heard another sound behind him.

"So It's true."

Daigo turned to find Silas staring at the window with wide eyes. "Silas! What are you doing up her?! Get back downstairs right now!"

"It's all true! Don't you get it?!" Silas rushed frantically. "It's Slender! He's come for us, just like you said! He's gonna take us and eat us or hunt us down or..."

"Stop!" Daigo actually had to yell to be heard over Silas' continually rising voice. "That's just a story! Here, help me get Ken downstairs."

Silas was hyperventilating now. His mind was going numb as every nightmare and night terror began to coalesce into a new, singular form; that of a monstrous ram with a voracious appetite for flesh. "We have to get away! This might be our only chance! He's probably still eating Cuza! We have to go now, before he gets all of us like he did Lui!"

Too late, Daigo realized what Silas was planning. "Wait!"

"HE'S NOT GONNA EAT ME TOO!" Silas roared as he bolted to the open window. He ran as faster as he could and he took a giant leap into the air.

Daigo watched in horror as Silas' body vanished into the blowing white.

He left Ken's unconscious body and galloped toward the window. "SILAS!" He screamed into the void, but his voice was swallowed by the screaming wind.

For a moment, that shrieking was all he heard.

Then another sound made itself known. It was still shrieking, but in a much higher pitch.

Daigo threw himself backwards as Silas blasted through the fog and back through the window. His mouth was open in an unending scream of terror, his eyes wide and pleading for help. His legs were held captive against him by several long lengths of tendrils from which hung a number of static that seemed to be singing a lullaby with the his cries. Silas his free hand stretched out into the open air, desperately reaching toward Daigo.

His screaming stopped, and he peered at Daigo with the eyes, the eyes of trust, the eyes of knowing that some hero can always save the day.

That they can always chase away the nightmares.

"Help me." He whispered.

The black tendrils snapped tight and he was gone, yanked back out the window and into the nothingness of the night.

Daigo clutched his head and was not surprised in the least to find that he was crying.

The taking of Silas seemed to break some spell. The room was suddenly filled with freezing wind that whipped and snapped in the air. Fog began to spread against the walls and tree stems began to grow from the ceiling. Doing his best to pull himself together, Daigo put Ken's arms on his shoulder and dragged him out of the room. He pulled his dead-weight across the hall's ever deeper autumn leaves, pausing only to grab him hat before it was blown away forever.

He didn't look back when the wind slammed the door to his room. The sound it made was not unlike the sealing of a tomb.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Valt heads turned as one to see Daigo fall down the last few days and land in a heap, a slowly stirring Ken beside him.

"DAIGO!" Valt ran to Daigo's side and checked him for injuries. "Are you alright? Is Ken okay? What's going on up there? What was all that screaming we heard? Wh..." His rapid fire questions came to a sudden halt. He looked up the staircase. "Where's Cuza?"

Rantaro, who'd done a head count as soon as he'd gathered his wits by the warm stove, measured his next words carefully. "And... where's Silas?"

Daigo looked at each of his friends in turn, then closed his eyes and turned away.

"...no." Valt whispered. "No." He stared at Daigo, unbelieving, and gritted his teeth. "NO!" He began to punch the wall over and over again, punctuating each smash with another scream of "NO!"

Shu grabbed his best friend and held him close. He whispered reassurances and calming words into his ear until Valt's rage was nothing more than chest-wracking sobs of despair.

Wakiya found that he no longer had the will to cry. He simply turned and hugged against Rantaro again, who thankfully had the presence of mind to put his arm around him.

All alone with his sorrow and fear, Rickson's gaze fell on Shu.

He had built a roaring fire, four times as big and blazing as the first. Even now he arranged more firewood to be in easy reach. His shoulders had slumped only a little at the news of Cuza's demise, but still he worked.

And Rickson decided she wanted to know why.

"You know what's happening, don't you?" He asked, making his way back towards the warm living room. "You've known this whole time."

The others took notice and also filed into the room, either for the talking or the warmth. Ken finally stood on unsteady legs just long enough to throw himself onto the couch and resume crying into the cushions.

Shu stared at the crackling pyre he had built and sighed heavily. "I know."

"Huh?" Valt blinked in confusion.

Shu chuckled irritably. "Figures it would happen on one of our last Halloween together. Couldn't just enjoy one more night with the family, could we?"

"What are you talking about?" Wakiya asked.

"I figured Valtryek and Spryzen were the woods after they both hit rock bottom and nothing happened. Like Valtryek, you were always such a trusting friend. I should've figured it would be one of our friends that were the real danger."

"What danger?" Shasa was at the Shu's side. She looked at him with pleading eyes. "What's out there?"

They pulled away, looked at each other, and then nodded. Shu turned to everyone. "He is Slenderman. And like Daigo said before, he's not just a old tale..."

* * *

 

The mournful wind passed southbound, breaking through a swirling gloom born by Luinor. The gust's wheeling cry tore down the forest, past the fields of trees, and further on until it reached a solitary tree. The lonesome wind sighed as it bent around the hardened bark, protecting the angels asleep in the cold, cold ground. But what wind cries and sighs and moans? Could it be the slumbering roots that beckoned for the warmth of newest passing?

But to Valtryek and Spryzen, it  _was_  just an outspoken wind which did force remembrance of names once famed, but were now dubious and forgotten beside the moniker. The wind blew coldly, but Spryzen did not shiver, for his hardened spirit had already been touched by the frost of loss, which killed the seed of sorrow before it could sprout on this, another anniversary of Requiem's passing.

The headstone towered over them, imposing upon them his weathered Coat of Arms, red and white flowers. But, through sad sight, the years could be spelled out of Requiem past.  _Twelve years._  Twelve years with parental bereavement. Twelve years where mourning tears had dried up, leaving a dispassion for authority. But in all respects, because Spryzen was the only one that returned to Requiem's deathbed, he cared most for his memory. Valtryek was too fast to remember, he had to be here for his best friend to comfort. But he couldn't

The wind, now a placid titan, once again sailed passed Spryzen, whispering his name. He flinched and believed to hear the sound of something purring at his shoulders. He dared not look behind him, but felt to indulge in fond name-calling.

"Hello, Slender."

To him rear stood it: Slenderman. The Grave, corporeal; a dreaded and tall and ghastly apparition that made those who shiver when named and appalled nature. Its suit was dark as the space between stars, and sucked life and light from the comparatively infant Sun. It was a supernumerary horror, mostly served in dead night as rotten legend. It was a cheerless, unsocial creature, and faceless.

"Waiting for me as usual, Spryzen. But that never surprises. Your honesty holds you to your word," Slenderman murmured. As it trailed on in its monotonous tone, the wind became silent and sharp. Spryzen's mane stood on end, and his body began to lightly shiver.

"But you're late. Busy?" Spryzen asked through his clattering teeth. His lips curled into a frown. He exhaled. 

_Death may be busy, but he's never been late for our appointments._

"I am always busy. But I am never late for an appointment," Slenderman answered.

"Then why are you late?" Spryzen questioned. His countenance continued to wrinkle in worry.

"Because this is not an appointment. There were others close to you that required my attention," Slenderman responded.

_Others close to you that required my attention._

Disbelief roiled inside Spryzen. His entire body turned hot, then cold, then hot again. Anger rose within him, so great it seared the breath from his lungs. He turned to Slenderman screaming, "Who did you take th—" That's when he saw it.

The village was on fire.

The burning village drew his attention from Slenderman. The red paint had taken a life of its own, shredding the foundations on its host with wicked, crimson claws. The squeals of collapsing timber slowly saturated the air. The column of black smoke eventually built up into a signature of Spryzen's companion, so thick and black that the flashing red and blue lights of the fire brigade were drowned. Listless, he crawled towards the alight structure, but stopped and swaggered, his jaw unhinged and open as his blank eyes stared.

_If Slender has declared it so, there's no hope to stop it._

"That is why I was late," Slenderman whispered in his ear.

Spryzen's body twisted to the side. There stood Slenderman, its approach silent like the grave. The impenetrable shadow within the head was faced towards him, but it was impossible to tell whether Slenderman stared at him, or at the village. But such thoughts were far from Spryzen's mind.

He once again peered into the distance. There, as Slenderman had implied, the village burned to the ground. The wind blew in her direction, and soon the screams of his cremated family, along with the fragrance of Apples and charred wood, rushed past him. Spryzen closed his eyes. Bursts of sorrow gushed from either eye, fast-falling down his cheeks.

_He was the last soul._

"Why? Why us? What quarrel do you have with our family?" Spryzen questioned. Without the trees or his family, without any divine purpose to shape his life, he was nothing but a hapless victim. The anger inside surged through him once more, so dark and overwhelming that it could contest the darkness of Slenderman.

"I have no quarrel with anypony, honest warrior. I only follow destiny. And today, the rest of your family has met their fate." There may have been no partial condolence in its tone, but Spryzen could sense a horrible grin forming over his skull.

"And you shouldn't repress your emotions. It's not very honest."

He turned to Slenderman. His lips were parted, and his teeth cracked as they gritted against each other. His brow knotted, and his eyes focused on Slenderman, the burning village reflected in his stare. "But why not take me?" he roared. "I am the Legendary Warrior of Fire. Is my soul not worth three to you?"

"No, Spryzen. A soul is a soul. You're still needed in the grand scheme of things because you are the Legendary Warrior of Fire." Slenderman's tone shifted to one that patronized. "It is why you get to live just a bit longer."

"You bastard! I — I'll kill you!" Spryzen leapt for Slenderman, his axe aimed at his seemingly fragile form. But he passed right through it. Slenderman was nothing more than a mist. But Spryzen turned and attacked anew. His axe wafted through the spirit, only temporarily dissipating Slenderman's form. But soon he tired, and collapsed on the ground, panting heavily as sweat dripped down his brow.

Slenderman's neck craned down to his level. "I am Slenderman, Spryzen. You are no more a threat to me than a termite. There is no way you can beat me."

Spryzen peered into Slenderman's black tendrils. For the first time in twelve years, he saw his eyes. They weren't empty as he believed. Instead, he saw the souls of his people buried in the lake which burned with fire and brimstone: a second death. As there screams died from the fire, they were born anew in Slenderman's eyes. But being so close, they were deafening and inspiring.

Spryzen chuckled darkly. "I know of one way to beat you." He stood up and walked towards the palace, his head held high.

Slenderman smirked. "I can read your thoughts. Your plan will be in vain, Spryzen." But despite his warning, he continued on to the palace. It walked back through the forest.

"Raze this barn. Raze this barn. One, two, three, four," Spryzen sang, until his had disappeared down the road.

* * *

Everyone stared in awe as Shu finished his story of his darkest dream. Satisfied that the fire would burn for some time yet, he walked to the couch and sat next to Valt and looked at them all. "Everyone's first Halloween after getting their lives is the most dangerous time of all. You'll start feeling so grown up that you start to question things. First little things like Spryzen and then bigger things like friendship itself. That's what calls to Slenderman, that spirit of disharmony, that betrayal of the most sacred truth. To question the very nature of friendship itself is borderline blasphemy. Some of you have done just that. You have, and now we are all being punished for it."

Rantaro blinked with watery eyes. "But I still believe in Spyzen. I haven't even gotten Roktavor yet. Why am we being punished?"

"And why did it take Cuza?" Besu asked in a quiet, trembling tone of voice. "He wasn't useless."

"It's about what you believe or how old you are anymore!" Shu snapped impatiently. "He's here now, and he will not stop until he has claimed us all."

Shasa hugged Honey close and gazed at Shu in desperation. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

Shu sighed and looked out the window. "We stick together. We keep the fire hot. We wait for the sun to come up. And you." He looked at Valt. "I need you to tell me something."

"W-what?" Valt squeaked.

Shu offered the kindest smile he could muster in the situation. "How many lullabies do you know?"

His smile was so warm that Valt couldn't help but match it. "Two, maybe."

Shu watched everything quietly, Nightmare Luinor still on the table.

And the singing began.


	3. Don't Try To Run

As Shu hummed about how he was dreaming of a tragic destruction of the village, the others all did their best to reflect, rest, and recover. The living room's furniture had been pulled away from the center of the room and used to blockade the doors and windows. Spare linens and pillows had been used to build a huge pallet in the middle of everything and the eight remaining bladers and their three siblings were nestled in the warmth.

Shasa dozed on the couch away from the others, watching the stairs and afraid of the nightmares that would come if she fell into a deeper sleep.

Wakiya poked his head from under the blankets and ensured the coast was clear. Once he was satisfied that Shu and Valt were either asleep or otherwise occupied, he carefully scooted himself closer to Rantaro. "Rantaro? Are you awake?"

Rantaro rolled over so that he was facing him. He offered the weakest of smiles. "Wouldn't it be nice if I wasn't? If this was all just an awful dream?"

He returned the smile and made himself more comfortable in the blankets next to him. "That would be nice."

"It would be nice. But it's not true." Rantaro sighed as he laid on his back and put his hands on the back of his head. "Even if nothing else happens tonight, Lui's still gone, Cuza and you..." He caught himself and looked away. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Truth be told, Wakiya was still trying to process the idea that Silas was gone. He imagined that it would take quite some time before she stopped expecting Silas to come bounding up the stairs of the treehouse with some news of another boy or girl who needed help figuring out their souls. Even now he kept catching himself looking towards the stairway like Silas would just come gliding down, laughing that it was all just a big joke.

"Hey Wakiya?"

"Hmm?"

"Is it true? What Lui said?" When Rantaro did not immediately reply, he made to turn away. "Sorry. I guess now's not really a good time..."

"It's true. I used to not like you. But after that, I do."

Rantaro froze. "You do?"

"Yeah. I've had the biggest jerk and the biggest crush on you since earlier this year."

Rantaro smiled. "And cheeseburgers. Don't forget cheeseburgers."

"You were such a dork."

"I was so cute."

Rantaro reached out and took Wakiya's shoulder. "Well, not as cute as you are."

Wakiya scoffed quietly as he returned the gesture, crossing his arms. "You know I hate that you only found out about this tonight."

"Tell you what." Rantaro scooted a little closer. "I'll be Batman and you can be Robin. And if I can watch your back the whole night, then you owe me another cheeseburger this Friday."

"Interesting idea." Wakiya said sarcastically and mirrored his movement. "But I kinda wanna be Superman. You let me be him, and I promise to watch your back just like he watched Batman's back."

"Have I mentioned that your superhero comic book knowledge is just as striking as that blush on your cheeks?"

He sighed as he rolled his eyes. "That was smooth for someone who doesn't know the first thing."

He looked into his eyes. "I'm a fast learner. That's how I was able to master Joker's Revenge in just three days."

Wakiya broke eye contact and looked away, tormented by the swirling forces inside him. His sadness, his terror, and his burgeoning attraction all hammered away at his heart. "I'm... I'm so scared."

He wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. "I am too."

His soft lips found Rantaro's as he drew closer to his warmth. It was a short kiss, small and tentative. An average first kiss.

Which is to say that it blew Rantaro's mind.

While he recovered, Wakiya rolled over and snuggled deeper into the Rantaro's embrace. "Do me a favor?"

"Uh huh." He muttered dizzily.

"Talk like the Batman to me." Wakiya sighed as he finally relaxed. "Until I fall asleep."

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Shu stopped humming and stared at a cracked Nightmare Luinor as though some part of him were afraid that if he let go of them they would vanish into nothingness.

Valt was nestled on Shu's lap, covered by a cozy blanket. In fear, he had to stick with his best friend for the entire night.

"Valt?"

Valt slowly opened his eyes. He and Shu had gone quiet since Silver Spoon's taking. "Hey Shu."

Shu whispered, still petting him. "I'm sorry about Cuza and Silas."

"Thanks."

"Are... are you okay?"

"Don't I look okay to you?"

"Do you... do you wanna talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Valt sat up and Shu could see his teary eyes. "Talk about my dead rival? Or my dead best friend? Or my other dead rival who had a nervous breakdown first?" He glared. "Or, to focus on the small stuff first, we could talk about how you've been lying through your teeth about being my friend these past few months after you were Red Eye."

"Don't call me that!" Shu snapped. "I don't want you to call me that anymore!" He growled, his eyes burning a hole through, not Valt, but Red Eye, who looked like him.

Now it was his turn to glare. "Now who's not being fair? I wasn't lying about being your friend, Valt."

"Then why would you say that about comin' over tonight?"

"Because I had a nightmare once that Requiem ate me alive, but Spryzen would never do that to me!" His tears fell from his eyes. "Is that so wrong of me?"

Valt flinched as Shu's rant. "Look Shu, Just cuz you're mad at Requiem don't mean that you could say something so hurtful about me and my friends."

"I know that! Alright?" Shu sat up and sighed as pushed his hair back . "That's what's been getting on my nerves."

"Wha...?"

"How come I broke a promise to meet you at the finals? Even after that day, Lui had never lost to you and me. Why? What makes us outsiders?"

Valt rubbed Shu's arm. "Because we have been through a lot these past few years. We're more brothers than friends at this point."

"You helped me getting out of that nightmare." Shu said in a soft and gentle tone. "You saw deeper in me than even I saw. You gave me back the strength to change the very nature of my being, even I couldn't control my power. Valt, you changed me." He leaned back on the couch. "And then you just moved on. You carried on like nothing had changed."

"You make it sound like I was ignorin' you."

"You may as well have been." Shu covered his blanket on himself. "I thought, after that day, I would finally know what it was like to really have friends. It had always been just us, you know? I kept waiting for you to invite me back to your house or to go hang out at my place. That's what friends did."

Valt chuckled quietly as he leaned on Shu's shoulder. "It is."

"Then the only real friends you have are me, Rantaro, Ken, Daigo and..." Shu paused for a quick second. "You only ever hang out with them. The most I've gotten out of this friendship before tonight is a greeting on the street or someone eating dinner with me. Besides you guys were always there for me, nothing's changed at all."

Valt considered in the silence that followed. "You could reach out to us, you know. You could still be friends with us now."

"I... I..." Shu took a breath. "I don't want to get you hurt." He wiped his eyes and hugged Valt tightly. "You're my best friend. But Slender take you away, then what do I have now?"

Valt laid back on the couch as he processed what Shu had said. It was true that he most often hung out with her friends, but surely Shu was wrong about everything else. He had other friends. Like Boa... but he hadn't had a serious conversation with him since the day he lost to him all those months ago. But there was Free... who he hadn't said a word to before the world tournament.

He racked his brain, but he couldn't find a single one that he spent as much time with as he did his best friends.

"Do you still... love me?"

It was Shu's turned to flinch at a whisper in Valt's voice. "What?"

"For all those times you've been a complete jerk to me and almost destroyed Valtryek and then I saved you. Do you still love me?"

Shu smiled warmly. "I never hated you. I never will."

"That means... Forgive and forget?"

Shu looked at Valt with a kindly look. "Yeah."

The two hugged each other in silence a while longer, the only sounds in the air that crackling.

The clock struck midnight and chimed.

"Happy Halloween, Shu." Valt whispered, smiling.

"You too, Valt." Came the reply.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Silence descended on the room.

Outside, the wind’s howling began to rise in pitch and strength.

Something huge on the roof shifted as though it sensed a change in the air.

The cracking noise echoed down the chimney.

A blast of cold wind blasted down the brick structure and blew the once roaring fire . It spread through the room, jolting everyone awake at once.

Rickson stared at everyone he'd failed.

He heard the chains shoot down the chimney before he felt them wrap around his body. The black tendrils snapped into place and pulled tight, splintering his chair to pieces. Slenderman chuckled maliciously as they mocked his failure.

"Run." He whispered.

Run was yanked back up the chimney less than a second later.

"NO!" Valt, Rantaro, Kitt and Shasa screamed together.

The windows shattered inward all at once, the howling wind filling the air of the house with eerie fog. The strong wind blew the furniture away and scattered it. The front door blasted open so hard that it flew off its hinges. Tendrils began to grow from the ceiling and floor, spreading towards them.

"We've got to make a break for the shed!" Shu yelled over the wind. He ran for the front door, trusting the others to follow him.

Valt, Rantaro, Daigo and Kitt followed closely, Ken was not far behind.

Wakiya, Shasa and Honey made to follow but a sudden dark shadowy tendrils caught their bodies and lifted them wholly into the air. They screamed as the black tendrils dragged them up the stairs and into the second floor hallway.

Wakiya was caught in a downdraft and blown against the door to Daigo's bedroom. The impact knocked him senseless and smashed the door to splinters. He smacked against the room's far wall and hit the ground, groaning in agony.

"Wakiya!" Shasa cried as the tendrils carried her further down the hallway. She was spun around just in time to see himself rapidly approaching the end of the hallway.

A pair of long arms waited for her like spikes.

She screamed as she braced for impact.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Ken cried out as his ankle twisted. He collapsed on the floor and watched as Toko and Nika ran to the barn. He tried to call out to them, but his screams were swallowed by the storm. "HELP ME!" he cried in desperation, trying as hard as he could to put weight on his damaged ankle.

The sound of the static behind him, crystal clear above the fog, made him spin and stare.

Standing right behind him, It was an gigantic shape. It stood on long legs, wearing a black suit and tie, black as night. It stared at him with no face.

Ken opened his mouth to scream.

Tendrils emerged from the shroud. Looked like it claimed another soul for Slenderman.


	4. Go To Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the last chapter. Enjoy the finale!

Wakiya rose with a groan on his unsteady feet. He shook his head to clear his blurred vision and took in his surroundings. He was in a bedroom, plain and sparsely decorated.

Any further analysis was pushed away by a noisy groaning coming from above.

He looked up just in time to see the ceiling give way completely. He jumped back against the wall as debris and snow fell with a massive thud into the room. He coughed away the dust and shivered in the new cold that found its way into the house via the sizable hole in the roof.

“And I t-thought the c-ceiling wouldn’t collapse.” He muttered through chattering teeth.

The fog cleared completely… and revealed a nightmare.

The thud had not come from the debris and the ceiling had not given from the tendrils.

The dark figure that now stared at Wakiya was huge, easily four added from the enormous tendrils that emerged from its back. It stared at him with eyes that burned like red-hot coals and grinned with a mouth full of dagger-like fangs.

Wakiya’s mouth became dry as sand. “S... Slender?”

Slendermans grin grew wider and it tilted its head in acknowledgement.

Wakiya was no longer sure if his shaking was from the cold or from fear. “I… I'm Wakiya Murasaki. Nice... to... meet you?”

Slenderman seemed to pause a moment in consideration then nodded his head again.

“So… how about we trade that for a free pass tonight.”

Again Slenderman seemed to consider… then shook his blank head with a smirk.

Wakiya’s upper lip trembled. “But that isn't supposed to be fair, you know!”

Slenderman shrugged his thin shoulder and took a heavy step towards Wakiya.

“Hey! No-face!”

Both Slenderman and Wakiya looked to the room’s doorway.

Rantaro squared himself and glared, striking a pose like the Batman. He was done being scared and was now furious that the same monster that had taken his best friend was now threatening the recipient of his first kiss. He rushed to the faceless figure. “ _GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS AWAY FROM SUPERMAN!_ ”

Rantaro jumped straight up so high and landed like a comet. He kicked Slenderman in the chest and knocked it right through the wall and into the huge fog.

Wakiya stared in wonder.

Rantaro raced to his side and looked him over. “Are you okay?” Seeing his amazed stare, he grinned. “Yeah, I just kicked that thing's butt! The Batman way!”

“Thanks a lot, Ran-.”

"Nope! Not Rantaro!" Rantaro kindly interrupted. “Just call me Batman!”

“Whatever!” Wakiya threw his hands before remembering where he was. “I also might freeze to death.”

Rantaro shook his head and ran off from the bedroom. “Save it for later, Superman. We’ve gotta get out of here.”

Wakiya followed his new superhero partner with a bemused smile on his face. “Whatever you say, Batman.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Now you’ll keep calm and quiet.” Shu took a torch and passed it to Daigo who passed it along to Valt. “We’ll wait here a while and…”

Slenderman suddenly came inside the shed. Valt, Toko, Nika and Kitt screamed as the tall creature landed on its feet. He quickly focused its attention on them, it moved closer as it turned its head sharply.

Valt saw the black tendrils and screamed again as three little kids hid under the table.

“ _Slenderman_.” Daigo whispered in terrified wonder. He shook off his amazement and placed himself firmly in front of his friends. “Don't even move one more step!”

Slenderman narrowed with no eyes and. The back was wrapped in tendrils that coiled like snakes.

Whatever was in the sack was still moving.

Daigo called on his last reserves of courage and returned its glare. “You're not gonna take them all. I’ll  _die_  first.”

Slenderman grinned and nodded, as though he had just described his exact plan.

“Daigo?”

Daigo looked back at Valt and Shu, his last remaining friends, and remembered the promise he’d made to his little brother. “I’ll take care of this.”

Valt stared at him, frozen with fear.

Daigo looked back at the creature. “You’re not a mindless monster. You can make deals, right?”

Slenderman tilted his head curiously.

“You’ve already taken four of my friends. That’s a pretty good haul for you, I imagine that.”

Slenderman grinned. His teeth glistened in the pit of his mouth.

“If I make it a nice round five, and I go willingly, will you leave these us alone?”

Valt’s paralysis broke and he darted forward. “Daigo, no!”

A quick thinking Shu put his hand on Valt's mouth, holding fast. He stared at Daigo with complete shock, that this guy would sacrifice himself for him.

Slendermans grin faded and he curled his lip in obvious distaste for the deal.

“It’ll work out for you in the end. We will tell everyone what happened here tonight. You’ll be more feared than ever.”

Slenderman’s grimace faded as he considered the bargain.

“Daigo!” Valt screamed. He kicked wildly at Shu’s grip. “Let me go!”

Daigo ignored Valt as best he could. “Well? Have we got a deal?”

Slenderman stared at him... and nodded.

Daigo finally looked back at Valt and smiled, tears in her eyes. “I love you guys. Take care of Ryota for me.”

Valt wailed as the tendrils unwrapped themselves from its back and darted out. They wrapped themselves around Daigo and locked securely in place. The sack fell onto its side and opened wide. Within there was a great black void from which the only sounds that could be heard were wailing winds and loud static.

Daigo stood fast as the chains began to drag him towards the sack.

Tears flowed down Shu’s face as he held as tightly to Valt as he could. As he stared at Daigo’s approach to his fate, he noticed something amazing.

Daigo was getting… younger.

Every inch the black tendrils dragged him seemed to take the years away from Daigo. Soon he was a loyal person. Another few inches and he was a little boy on the cusp of childhood. At the threshold of the sack, he was a little boy not much younger than the ones he had just given his life to protect.

Even Doomscizor was gone.

Slenderman watched the scene with quiet amusement… and then he took a step towards them.

Daigo looked back with terrified eyes. “NO!” It was a little boy's cry, shockingly similar to Ryota's own. “WE HAD A DEAL!”

Slenderman simply laughed and took another heavy step.

Slenderman began to struggle against the enchanted tendrils, his honed by muscles no longer at his call.

He felt his hand touch the edge of the sack.

He looked back at the void and felt his blood freeze. Standing just inside the bag were two boys and two girls. The boy was unnaturally tall for his age. One of the little boys hair was green, the other boy's hair was black and the little girl's hair was blue.

They were all smiling at him and laughing.

Tears ran from their eyeless sockets.

Daigo felt the tendrils loosen and turned to flee…

…and watched as the sack drew itself closed, held tightly closed by the enchanted tendrils.

His last wail echoed through the shed.

Valt screamed in agony and fell limp upon the floor of the shed. Shu moved his hand away and sat heavily by his side.

Slenderman took another step, chuckling loudly. The static grew louder and louder with every horrible peal of laughter that came from his throat.

Shu got down on his knees beside Valt, resigned to his fate.

“I’m sorry.” Shu muttered.

“What?”

“I’m sorry I abandoned our friendship.” He sobbed as he looked into Valt’s eyes. “I’m sorry that I held a grudge against you for so long.”

Valt sniffled. “I know.”

Shu and Valt embraced, holding each other protectively.

“You're a good friend, Shu. I never told you that. I love you.”

“You  _saved_  me, Valt. That’s the best thing anyone’s ever done for me.” Shu closed his eyes as he felt Valt's lips touching his. “You’re the best friend anypony could ask for.”

Slenderman leaned towards them.

The torch all died as one.

_The shed was suddenly filled with blazing light._

Slenderman backed away with a surprised look. He looked at the roof of the shed in confusion. The sun was not supposed to rise for hours yet.

But the light was not coming from outside.

Slenderman looked back at his prey…and found they were on fire.

The two were coated in two dancing flames that gave an unearthly light. One of the flames was blue and the other was red. The heat that came from the flames were comforting and strong but not overwhelming. The light was the light of safety and security.

Shu and Valt were emitting the light of Valtryek and Spryzen’s Flame itself.

Slenderman roared in fury, determined not to be denied his prize. He reached out his hand to grab the pair…

…and was touched by the flame.

Slenderman cried out in shock and anger as his hand caught flame. The fire spread across his entire being. He struggled against the fire’s heat and light, tried to retreat into his comforting cold and darkness, but the flame would not be denied.

Valtryek and Spryzen decreed that Slenderman had had his fill of misery this Halloween.

The fire spread across the whole of Slenderman’s enormous frame. He bellowed in defiance, but it was far too late. The light and heat grew and grew, forcing Grogar’s essence back to the tree for now. The tendrils seemed to scream as the sack was caught as well, the static finally decreased.

For an instant, the inside of the shed was brighter than the brightest daylight.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the light was gone.

Slenderman’s final scream faded into silence. The howling wind petered out and died.

Shu and Valt pulled apart and stared at each other in wonder. “Did we…?”

“Is he…?”

Wide grins broke out on their faces and they embraced again, laughing with joy.

"Valt!" Toko and Nika tackled and hugged their big brother as Kitt crawled out of the table and stood up, grinning in relief.

“Hello?”

They looked up to see Rantaro, Wakiya and Honey standing in the shed’s open doorway. Which they did get her out of the villa to save her.

Wakiya was staring at the ground beside the Valt and Shu. “Uh… is that what I think it is?”

All eyes fell on a teddy bear that now rested on the ground. Engraved in ornate writing along a teddy bear's belly was a single phrase, repeated over and over again;

Go To Sleep

The three bladers and the little kids screamed as a figure jumped in from the hole in the roof. Someone's hair were moving like the flame.

Someone reached out a hand and showed a thumb up.

Valt swallowed. “Lui?”

Lui looked up sharply. Her mouth was dry in a rictus grin. His eye sockets were empty and staring, tears still running down his cheeks.

Valt reached behind him and carefully handed his biggest rival Nightmare Luinor.

For a single instant, Lui grabbed Nightmare Lui and smiled at Valt with kindness in her eyes. “Thanks. Doesn't mean I like you though.”

“I know…” Shu shrugged.

But the spell was broken. The grinning ghoul that Lui had become bent down, and vanished out the hole in the roof and into the night beyond.

The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever.

“Well.” Wakiya clapped his hands together and looked around at everyone. “At the risk of not sounding cool in front of my new superhero friend, I could really use my ride home right about now.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The fog had cleared completely by the time the sun began to rise. Everyone emerged from the shed at first light and started the head back home. For the rest of the night, they’d comforted each other and did their best to get some sleep.

Now it was time to find the others and tell them what had happened.

Valt looked at Shu. “What’s going to happen to you now?”

“I dunno.” Shu shrugged as he walked. “I suppose I'll go back to America to stay in the Raging Bulls.”

“And have my new boyfriend leave for a few years?! No way!" Valt hugged Shu's arm. "You can come over to my house if you want to.”

Shu let out a handsome chuckle. “And you’ll have no problem getting your mom to agree to that.”

Valt grinned. "Mom likes it when we're napping when we were kids just because she thinks we're cute." He sighed. “I guess next year we'll go trick or treating and having a Halloween party.”

Behind them, Wakiya was briefing Rantaro on what to do around everyone at school. “Most importantly, do not tell everyone that we’re superheroes.”

“Why not?” Rantaro laughed. “We saved the day, did we?”

“Of course we did!" Wakiya yelled. "But if they catches even an blazing of the fact that we’re wearing ridiculous costumes, they’ll start taking a picture of us!”

Everyone laughed at Wakiya's hilarious rant about being the superhero. The two were standing frozen in the middle of the road.

“I… I don’t think it's going to be a problem.” Shu muttered.

Rantaro and Wakiya pushed up until they could see what had spooked the other two.

Wakiya fell face first into the ground in a dead faint.

Rantaro ran to the tree and started throwing up. 

The little kids started screaming uncontrollably and raced ahead as fast as they could.

Valt collapsed on his knees and started to laugh uncontrollably, tears running down his cheeks as the sound became not that much unlike a loud, keening cry.

Shu looked back on the night before.

_“We’re here so our parents could get rid of us for the night.”_

_“Discarded on Halloween.”_

_“…we are all being punished for it."_

_"It's not about what you believe or how old you are anymore! He's here now, and he will not stop until he has claimed us all."_

Everything's ruined.

Dead people were hanging up from all of the trees, all with the broken dolls. Their eye sockets were gone and blood were falling down their cheeks.

From out of nowhere, Spryzen himself walked beside Shu. He took in the devastated town with shock and horror. He looked down at his partner and touched his shoulder. “Shu... what happened here?”

Shu looked up at Spryzen with his hair covered his eyes. A single tear ran down his cheek. “Slender. Slenderman came here and punished them. He punished them all.” He grinned. "But for now, Spryzen... You should just... Go to sleep."

Without another word, he wrapped his arms around Valt's waist and joined him in his screaming laughter.

The sound of madness echoed in the emptiness.

And above that, just barely audible, was the sound of the static.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
